In his initial statement on the rally, U.S. President Donald Trump did not denounce white nationalists by name, instead blaming "hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides. Many sides". His statement and his subsequent defenses of it were criticized as implying moral equivalence between the white supremacist marchers and those who protested against white supremacy.[5]

Summer rallies in Charlottesville

On May 13, 2017, white supremacist Richard Spencer led the 'Take-Back Lee Park' rally, a protest in Charlottesville against the city's plans to remove the statue of Lee. The event involved protesters holding torches near the statue. That same night, a candlelight counterprotest took place.[17]

The Ku Klux Klan held another rally in Charlottesville on July 8.[18] About 50 Klan members and 1,000 counterprotesters gathered at a loud but nonviolent rally; the Klan members left the park after about 45 minutes.[19] In opposition to the rally, the Charlottesville Clergy Collective created a safe space at First United Methodist Church, which was used by over 600 people.[18]

Airbnb cancelled a number of bookings and accounts when it learned that they were being used by attendees at the rally, citing a request that users endorse a commitment to "accept people regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age".[46]

University and city preparations

The rally occurred when the University of Virginia was between its summer and fall terms.[61] On August 4, University of Virginia (UVA) President Teresa Sullivan sent an e-mail to students and faculty, which said, "I urge students and all UVA community members to avoid the August 12 rally and avoid physical confrontation generally. There is a credible risk of violence at this event, and your safety is my foremost concern."[62] The University of Virginia Medical Center canceled all elective surgeries and preemptively activated its emergency response plan.[63][64]

Event timeline

Permits and court case

Jason Kessler, one of the organizers of the rally, applied for a permit from the City of Charlottesville to hold the event at Emancipation Park. The week before the event, the Charlottesville government—including Mayor Michael Signer, city council, City Manager Maurice Jones, and Police Chief Al Thomas—said they would approve the permit only if the event was moved to the larger McIntire Park.[19][65] The city's leaders cited safety concerns and logistical issues associated with holding the event at Emancipation Park, adjacent to the densely populated Downtown Mall.[65] Kessler refused to agree to relocate the rally, but the City relocated the rally anyway, a decision praised by the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville.[65]

Kessler, supported by the Rutherford Institute and the ACLU, sued the City of Charlottesville and Jones on First Amendment grounds in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. On the evening of August 11, the night before the rally, Judge Glen E. Conrad granted an emergency injunction declaring that the Unite the Right rally could go forward.[66] Conrad granted the injunction for the rally citing several factors: that Emancipation Park was the location for the statue of Robert E. Lee that was planned to be taken down and that the rally was partially for, that resources would be needed at both parks for both the rally and the counterprotesters, and that the move to McIntire Park was due to the viewpoints of the organizer and not the safety of the public.[67][68] The court's decision was praised by the ACLU.[69] Mayor Signer issued a statement saying: "While the City is disappointed by tonight's ruling, we will abide by the judge's decision. ... Chief Thomas, his team and the hundreds of law enforcement officials in our City will now turn their full attention to protecting the Downtown area during tomorrow's events."[66]

Prior to the rally, counterprotesters obtained permit(s) to gather at McGuffey Park and Justice Park, both less than a quarter-mile distant from the Emancipation Park rally.[19][70][71][72] Charlottesville City Council spokeswoman Miriam I. Dickler later remarked that counterprotesters did not need permits to protest the rally at Emancipation Park.[72]

August 11

Tensions increased on the evening of Friday, August 11 when a group of white nationalists—variously numbered at dozens[73] or around 100[74]—marched through the University of Virginia's campus while chanting Nazi and white supremacist slogans, including[61] "White lives matter"; "you will not replace us"; and "Jews will not replace us".[3] The phrase "you will not replace us" has been reported by the Anti-Defamation League to "reflect the white supremacist world view that... the white race is doomed to extinction by an alleged 'rising tide of color' purportedly controlled and manipulated by Jews".[38] The Nazi slogan "Blood and Soil" was also used.[4][73][61][74] The group was primarily composed of white men,[74] many wielding tiki torches.[61][74][75] The white nationalists marched from Nameless Field to The Lawn.[75]

At the Rotunda,[75] the group encountered counterprotesters next to a statue of university founder Thomas Jefferson.[4][61][75] The white nationalists encircled the smaller group of counterprotesters at the base of the statue, and a brawl ensued.[75][74] Several people on both sides were reportedly hit with pepper spray, and several people were treated for minor injuries.[73] The white nationalists "began swinging and throwing their lit tiki torches" amid the chaos.[75]

Following the outbreak of violence, the Virginia State Police declared the assembly to be unlawful and ordered those in attendance to leave the area.[79] The Cavalier Daily reported, "While waiting for rides at Nameless Field after the march, several of the 'alt-right' protesters hurled anti-Semitic, homophobic and misogynistic slurs at several reporters and community members asking them questions. One man asking questions was thrown to the ground and surrounded by marchers after a brief physical altercation."[75] Mayor Michael Signer condemned the gathering, writing the following: "When I think of candlelight, I want to think of prayer vigils. Today, in 2017, we are instead seeing a cowardly parade of hatred, bigotry, racism, and intolerance march."[61]

Counterprotests in opposition to the ralliers began with an interfaith, interracial group of clergy who linked arms, prayed, and sang songs of peace. Later in the day, militant groups chanted such slogans as "Kill All Nazis."[82] The anti-racist, anti-capitalist group Redneck Revolt said on their website: "To the fascists and all who stand with them, we’ll be seeing you in Virginia."[83] Some Antifa participants chanted "punch a Nazi in the mouth."[84]

Virginia allows the open carrying of firearms under state law; many white nationalists, as well as some counterprotesters, carried semi-automatic weapons.[85][86][87] This presented major challenges for police at the scene.[85][86] Many of the protesters and counterprotestors carried shields, sticks, and clubs.[87]

Beginning in the morning, ahead of the rally's official noon start time,[88] "protesters and counterprotesters faced off, kicking, punching, hurling water bottles at and deploying chemical sprays against one another."[89][90] The AP reported that "people threw punches, screamed, set off smoke bombs, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays. Some came prepared for a fight, with body armor and helmets. Others darted around, trying to avoid the chaos."[71] An estimated 500 protesters and more than a thousand counterprotesters were on the site.[89][71] At least 14 people were injured in street brawls.[4]

At 11:00 a.m., the City of Charlottesville declared a state of emergency, citing an "imminent threat of civil disturbance, unrest, potential injury to persons, and destruction of public and personal property". One hour later, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency, stating: "It is now clear that public safety cannot be safeguarded without additional powers, and that the mostly-out-of-state protesters have come to Virginia to endanger our citizens and property. I am disgusted by the hatred, bigotry and violence these protesters have brought to our state."[3]

At about 11:40 a.m., shortly before the rally was scheduled to begin, Virginia State Police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly via megaphones,[88] and riot police cleared the scene.[91] Following this, "a hard core of about 100 far-right protesters" moved to McIntire Park about 2 miles (3 km) away, where they gathered to hear speakers who had been scheduled for the "Unite the Right" event.[91][92]

Video footage recorded at the scene showed a gray 2010 Dodge Challenger accelerating into crowds on a pedestrian mall, hitting people and sending them airborne, then reversing at high speed, hitting more people.[4] The moment when the car was driven into the crowd was captured on video by bystanders and in aerial video footage taken by a drone.[100] A photographer present at the scene said the car "plowed into a sedan and then into a minivan. Bodies flew. People were terrified and screaming." Bystanders said it was "definitely a violent attack," according to The Guardian.[91] Of the 19 injured survivors, the University of Virginia Medical Center reported that five were initially in critical condition.[4] By the afternoon of August 14, ten patients had been discharged from the hospital, and the nine remaining patients were in good condition.[101]

Police block the site of the vehicular crash

Shortly after the collision, James Fields, a 20-year-old male resident of Ohio who reportedly had sympathy for Nazi Germany during his time as a student at Cooper High School in Union, Kentucky,[102] was arrested.[94][103] He was charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding, and failure to stop following an accident resulting in death. [103][91] Fields was photographed taking part in the rally, holding a shield emblazoned with the logo of Vanguard America, a white supremacist organization. Vanguard America's leaders later stated he was not a member and that "The shields seen do not denote membership" as they were "freely handed out to anyone in attendance".[104] On August 14, Fields was denied bail.[105] He is being held at the Albermarle-Charlottesville County Regional Jail.[103]

Heyer's mother said she wanted Heather's name to become "a rallying cry for justice and equality and fairness and compassion."[112] Heyer's memorial service was held at Charlottesville's Paramount Theatre on August 16; Heyer's mother spoke to hundreds of mourners, asking them to honor Heyer by acting against injustice and turning "anger into righteous action."[113]

The NTSB announced a preliminary report detailing the facts and circumstances of the crash should be available on their website by September 6, 2017.[119]

Aftermath and reactions

Police handling of rally

In the aftermath of the rally and the car attack, some criticized the police handling of the rally. Claire Gastañaga, executive director of the Virginia ACLU, wrote that "The situation that occurred was preventable" and the ACLU's lawsuit, which resulted in a federal court granting an injunction allowing the rally to go forward at Emancipation Park, "did not cause it."[123] Gastañaga wrote that: "The lack of any physical separation of the protesters and counterprotesters on the street was contributing to the potential of violence. [Police] did not respond. In fact, law enforcement was standing passively by, waiting for violence to take place, so that they would have grounds to declare an emergency, declare an 'unlawful assembly' and clear the area."[123]

Virginia officials defended the police approach to the rally. Governor Terry McAuliffe said that the police did a "magnificent job" and that "We were unfortunately sued by the ACLU, and the judge ruled against us. That rally should not have been in the middle of downtown: to disperse all those people from the park where they dispersed all over the city streets and it became a powder keg. We have to do a better job working with the judiciary. They need to listen to local city officials . ... I am angry that this was not moved to McIntire Park where the city of Charlottesville requested."[123] Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas said that while he had "regrets" about planning, police officers had attempted to separate protesters and counterprotesters but were unable to effectively do so, in part because "Unite the Right" participants had failed to follow a previously agreed-upon plan for entering Emancipation Park:[123][124] "We had a plan to bring them in at the rear of the park. They had agreed to cooperate with the plan; unfortunately they did not follow the plan. They began entering at different locations in and around the park."[125]

Vigils and protests

Candlelight vigils and counterprotests took place in many locations including those photographed above: Washington D.C., Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Berlin (top-to-bottom).

On August 13, the day following the rally, anti-hate advocates organized vigils and demonstrations in a number of cities across the country with a variety of goals, including showing support for the people that white supremacists condemn, pushing for the removal of Confederate monuments, and denouncing fascism and actions and statements by the president of the United States.[126] In Brooklyn, demonstrators at the "Peace and Sanity" rally heard addresses by Public AdvocateLetitia James and City Comptroller Scott Stringer.[126] In Los Angeles, hundreds gathered on the steps of City Hall to condemn white-nationalist violence and honor those killed.[127]

Richard B. Spencer, who was scheduled to speak at the Unite the Right event, said he was not responsible for the violence, and he blamed counterprotesters and police.[126]

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters marched around Trump Tower, with many shouting "Shame, shame, shame!" and "Lock Him Up!". In response, pro-Trump counterprotesters waved American flags and yelled "Make America White Again" at protesters.[128][129] One man gave a Nazi salute to the passing presidential motorcade.[130]

Confrontations at the park continued on Tuesday, August 15, with counterprotestors demanding that a North Carolina man in Confederate uniform holding a Confederate flag and semi-automatic rifle leave the park. When police asked him if he would like to leave, he said he would and was escorted to his vehicle.[131]

Kessler's response

On the afternoon of August 13, Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler attempted to hold a press conference in front of Charlottesville City Hall, but was forced to abandon the conference after being attacked by an angry crowd.[132] Hundreds of people shouted "shame" at Kessler and "say her name" (referring to the woman killed the day before).[133] However, before ending the short news conference Kessler stated “I disavow any political violence and what happened yesterday was tragic." Afterwards he posted videos online in which he blamed the city for the violence and death.[134] One man was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery for allegedly spitting on Kessler during the news conference.[133]

Online responses

Domain registrarGoDaddy demanded that The Daily Stormer move its website's domain to another provider after editor Andrew Anglin described the car-ramming victim in derogatory terms.[135][136]TheDaily Stormer then moved to Google Domains on August 14. Google canceled the site's registration for violation of its terms of service just over 3 hours after The Daily Stormer registered for the service.[137][138]

PayPal suspended accounts of the right-wing extremist groups run by several of the rally organizers for violating the website's terms of service, which forbid raising money for "activities that promote hate, violence or racial intolerance".[139]

Hacktivist collective Anonymous shut down numerous websites associated with the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups following the protests.[140] Alt-right website Red Ice TV was also hacked.[141] In a video statement, they claimed that their coverage and support of the rally was the cause of the cyberattack.[141][142] A Discord server frequented by alt-right elements was also taken down.[143]

Before the suspect in the vehicular ramming attack on August 12 was revealed, there was an online campaign to identify the driver of the car used in the attack during which a group of users incorrectly identified Joel Vangheluwe as the attacker.[144] The car used in the attack had previously belonged to Vangheluwe's father, Jerome Vangheluwe, but the car was no longer in the family's possession.[144] After far-right news website GotNews reported that Vangheluwe was the attacker, the family received numerous death threats and were advised to flee their home by local police.[144] The family has hired a lawyer and plans to sue GotNews and other publications that published the false accusations.[144]

On Twitter, a group of users identified white nationalist or supremacist marchers from photographs, publicizing at least nine names and identities.[145][146] After being identified as a demonstrator at the rally, one individual resigned from his job at a hot dog stand in Berkeley, California.[147] There was at least one case of mistaken identity; a University of Arkansas engineering professor received threatening messages from Twitter users who mistook him for a similar-looking man at the rally who wore an "Arkansas Engineering" T-shirt.[148][149]

In an address later in the day following the rally, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, flanked by Charlottesville mayor Michael Signer, and Charlottesville's police chief, directly addressed the rally participants: "I have a message to all the white supremacists and the Nazis who came into Charlottesville today. Our message is plain and simple. Go home ... You are not wanted in this great commonwealth."[154] Signer said he was disgusted that white supremacists came to his town and he faulted President Donald Trump for inflaming racial tensions during his 2016 campaign, stating: "I'm not going to make any bones about it. I place the blame for a lot of what you're seeing in America today right at the doorstep of the White House and the people around the president."[155][156]

University of Virginia Center for Politics director Larry J. Sabato, who lives on the university grounds and saw the march on August 11, said that the weekend was among the university's darkest days, stating: "I hope people will put it into context and understand that we had no control over the individuals organizing it, nor the people who showed up. What we can control is our personal and institutional reaction to it. What I saw was pure evil."[157]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the violence "horrifying" and "evil" and said: "It is racist, far-right violence and clear, forceful action must be taken against it, regardless of where in the world it happens."[158] German Justice Minister Heiko Maas similarly condemned the violence, antisemitism, and racism of the neo-Nazis at the rally.[159]

White House Chief StrategistSteve Bannon in his interview with Robert Kuttner, called the far-right as "irrelevant" after Kuttner asked him about the "ugly white nationalism epitomized by the racist violence in Charlottesville and Trump’s reluctance to condemn it." He quoted Bannon as saying, "Ethno-nationalism – it’s losers. It’s a fringe element. I think the media plays it up too much, and we gotta help crush it, you know, uh, help crush it more … These guys are a collection of clowns."[160]

President Trump's statements

First statement

Speaking in New Jersey, President Trump condemns the violence that occurred at the rally (Video from Voice of America)

On August 12, Trump spoke on camera from his vacation home in New Jersey, saying "We all must be united and condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Let's come together as one!" He said, "we condem in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides."[161][162][163] He added, "What is vital now is a swift restoration of law and order."[163]

A spokesperson for Trump later released an addendum to his remarks, stating, "The President said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry, and hatred. Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups. He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together."[164] (The statement was re-released after an initial draft released to media outlets such as CNN [on which the typo was noted by Brian Stelter, media columnist and host of Reliable Sources] misspelled "neo-nazi" as "nephew-nazi".)[165]

Because Trump did not specifically denounce white nationalists, white supremacists or neo-Nazis, and the counterprotester side was the only one with any casualties, his "many sides" comment was criticized as insufficient by some members of Congress, from both the Democratic and Republican parties.[162][163][166][167][168] Whereas members of both political parties condemned the hatred and violence of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and alt-right activists, The New York Times noted that Trump "was the only national political figure to spread blame for the 'hatred, bigotry and violence' that resulted in the death of one person to 'many sides'".[169] The decision was reported to have come from White House Chief StrategistSteve Bannon, in fear of repelling alt-right support for the Trump presidency.[170]

The Congressional Black Caucus decried what it saw as Trump's false equivalency and dog-whistle politics, saying "White supremacy is to blame."[166] Republican U.S. Representative Justin Amash and Senators Cory Gardner, Jeff Flake, Orrin Hatch, and Marco Rubio all called upon Trump to specifically condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis; in a tweet that was retweeted by Flake, Gardner said: "Mr. President – we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism."[166][171][172]Virginia Attorney GeneralMark Herring said: "The violence, chaos, and apparent loss of life in Charlottesville is not the fault of 'many sides.' It is racists and white supremacists."[173]Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, whose brother was killed in action in Europe during World War II, tweeted, "We should call evil by its name. My brother didn't give his life fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged here at home."[174] Republican senator Cory Gardner called it domestic terrorism in a tweet,[175] and a few hours later Republican senator Ted Cruz wrote on Facebook, "The Nazis, the KKK, and white supremacists are repulsive and evil, and all of us have a moral obligation to speak out against the lies, bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred that they propagate." He continued, "Having watched the horrifying video of the car deliberately crashing into a crowd of protesters, I urge the Department of Justice to immediately investigate and prosecute this grotesque act of domestic terrorism."[176]

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke responded by saying that Trump should "take a good look in the mirror & remember it was White Americans who put you in the presidency, not radical leftists".[177][178][179] Other white supremacists and neo-Nazis did not object to Trump's remarks. Daily Stormer editor Andrew Anglin said "Trump did the opposite of cuck. He refused to even mention anything to do with us. When reporters were screaming at him about White Nationalism he just walked out of the room."[180]

Second statement

To anyone who acted criminally in this weekend's racist violence, you will be held fully accountable. Justice will be delivered. [...] Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the K.K.K., neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.[191][192]

Richard B. Spencer dismissed Trump's second statement as "hollow" and he also said that he believed that Trump had not denounced either the alt-right movement or white nationalism.[194][195]South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (one of three African Americans serving in the U.S. Senate, and the only Republican among the three), also said that the firmer second statement came too late;[196][197] the Los Angeles Times editorial board wrote that "Trump's first response to Charlottesville was tepid and mealy mouthed. His second was too late."[198] NAACP president Cornell William Brooks said Trump's second statement stuck to a "rhetorical minimum" of a condemnation, and "gave the impression that the President was trying to have his hate cake and eat it too".[199]

Trump later tweeted "Made additional remarks on Charlottesville and realize once again that the #Fake News Media will never be satisfied...truly bad people!"[200]

Third statement

Trump makes third statement (begins at 07:20 into the video) published by the White House.

On August 15, Trump appeared before the media from his home at Trump Tower in New York City, to give prepared remarks about the state of the U.S. infrastructure and other economic issues; the conclusive Q&A part of the press conference was mainly about the Charlottesville events.[201] He defended his August 12 statement and again said that there was "blame on both sides." He also defended his advisor Steve Bannon, and accused the media of unfair treatment of the rally′s participants. Trump said: "Not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists by any stretch."[202] Trump said that the push to remove Confederate statues was an attempt to ″change history″.[203] Trump also said that there were "very fine people on both sides".[204] Trump criticized what he called the "very, very violent" "alt-left,"[205][202][206] and falsely claimed that counter-demonstrators lacked a permit.[72]

The Boston Globe reported on August 15 that a preppy 18-year-old Boston University freshman who attended the rally three days prior planned to drop out of school, because he had received fifteen death threats via email and over social media.[207]

Bannon reportedly viewed the press conference as a "defining moment", where Trump chose to jettison the "globalists" and align himself with "his people", and was "proud of how [Trump] stood up to the braying mob of reporters."[208]

According to Princeton University historian Kevin M. Kruse, there is a historical "false equivalency" precedent to blaming "both sides" in disputes over race relations. Kruse notes that segregationist politicians often equated white supremacists with the civil rights movement, condemning both the KKK and the NAACP.[209] Various historians also questioned Trump's suggestion that the individuals calling for the removal of Confederate monuments would next demand the removal of figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.[210] Harvard historian Annette Gordon-Reed[210] and others noted that Washington and Jefferson were imperfect men who are notable for creating the United States, whereas the sole historical significance of Confederate figures such as Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis is that they went to war against the United States to defend "the right of people to own other people".[211] Other historians noted that some wanted the Confederate monuments moved to museums where the monuments could be appropriately contextualized.[210] Slavery expert Douglas A. Blackmon of the University of Virginia told The Washington Post: "Trump either does not understand the history of the Confederacy or he's sympathetic to white nationalist views. ... [T]hese statues are offensive to millions of citizens that he governs. … When you reach a point that there are hate groups that engage in terrorist attacks, that these statues are being appropriated and used in [that] way … simply take [them] down."[211]

In a rare joint statement that obliquely touched upon Trump's remarks without mentioning him directly, former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush stated that, "America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms. As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city's most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country."[214][215]Missouri State Sen.Maria Chappelle-Nadal commented in a Facebook post, "I hope Trump is assassinated!," which she deleted shortly afterward; in apologizing for the remark, Chapple-Nadal said to The Kansas City Star that she posted the comment in frustration of the "trauma and despair" of Trump's statements about the Charlottesville rally.[216]

The fallout from the third statement also led to renewed calls for Trump to be removed from office through either impeachment or through invocation of Section 4 of 25th Amendment to the Constitution. In an August 15 Twitter post, Democratic House Representative Jackie Speier of California suggested that the never-before-used article of the 25th Amendment (which allows the vice president and either a majority of the cabinet or another body such as Congress to declare that a president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office) be invoked to remove Trump.[217][218][219] Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee announced on August 17, that he would introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump for his remarks in the press conference, stating that Trump had “failed the presidential test of moral leadership.”[220][221][222]

On August 16, after the members of the advisory councils moved to disband, Trump dissolved both councils.[229] Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Anat R. Admati said that Trump's equivocations on white nationalist hate groups had "put them in a very difficult position" and caused critical damage to the president's relationship with corporate leaders.[229]

Religious responses

The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Olav Fykse Tveit, stated that "Terror and violence against peaceful people seeking justice in Charlottesville must be condemned by all...We are proud of moral leadership by clergy and lay people standing against this promotion of racism and white supremacy."[231]

^"In Charlottesville, Can 'The Power of Love' Prevail?". Geneva: Christian Newswire. August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017. World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed his condolences to people who are grieving, and called for an end to violence. "Terror and violence against peaceful people seeking justice in Charlottesville must be condemned by all," he said. "We are proud of moral leadership by clergy and lay people standing against this promotion of racism and white supremacy". Tveit added "We stand in solidarity with those who continue to use nonviolent means to work against racism and extremism."